Advice And Natural Remedies To Treat Gastric Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux is a relatively common digestive condition these days. It affects the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle located between the stomach and the esophagus.

Today we will talk about some natural remedies to treat gastric reflux in this article.

When the sphincter is weak or inappropriately relaxes, gastric juices from the stomach may return to the esophagus, thus causing gastroesophageal reflux.

If you or someone you know suffers from this problem, it is worth knowing more about reflux and different ways to treat it. That’s what we’ll talk about in this article.

Risk factors

What causes this change in the sphincter and, consequently, gastroesophageal reflux? Well, there are a few different factors that can influence the onset of the condition.

These are the main risk factors for this disease:

Obesity
Hiatus hernia
Pregnancy
eat too fast
Smoke
Asthma
Diabetes

Symptoms of gastric reflux

At some point in our lives, we can all suffer from gastric reflux. It is present when we burp, when we feel heartburn or when we have an acidic taste in our mouths.

However, if these and the following symptoms become part of your life frequently, interfering with your normal activities, it is important to see a specialist to obtain a diagnosis and start the most appropriate treatment for you.

Acid regurgitation (taste the food again, now a little acidic, in the mouth after eating)
chest pains
Difficulty or pain to swallow
excess saliva
Bad breath
Dry cough
Sore throat

How to treat gastric reflux

Treatment usually starts with the use of common medications purchased from pharmacies and prescribed by your doctor.

We can make use of antacids that neutralize stomach acids, medications to reduce acid production and even block it and heal the esophagus.

The use of these remedies should be discussed with your doctor, especially if symptoms have been present for a significant period of time.

In addition, we can also supplement the treatment with some changes to our general lifestyle, adopting healthier habits that will help prevent and treat reflux symptoms.

These are some of them:

Maintain a Healthy Weight to Treat Gastric Reflux

The extra pounds put pressure on the abdomen, pushing the stomach and helping the acids back up into the esophagus.

If you already have a healthy weight, try to maintain it, but if you are overweight or obese, change your eating habits and start physical activity to lose weight calmly and gradually, without crash dieting.

Avoid clothing that is too tight to treat gastric reflux

Clothing tight around the waist puts extra pressure on the abdomen and sphincter, making the condition worse.

Avoid Certain Foods and Drinks to Treat Gastric Reflux

Not all foods can go down well, so it pays to be aware of what you eat and which of these foods trigger stomach acidity and reflux.

Some of the most common are fried foods, chocolate, alcohol, tomato sauce, onion, mint and caffeine, but these can vary from case to case.

Eat Small Meals to Treat Gastric Reflux

Divide your daily caloric intake into more meals with less food. This way you will avoid exaggerations that can trigger reflux. Also remember to eat slowly.

Do not lie down after eating to treat gastric reflux

We know that, at times, lying down after eating is tempting, but we should avoid this type of behavior, as it favors reflux. Wait at least three hours to go to bed after a meal.

Raise the head of the bed to treat gastric reflux

If you suffer from reflux overnight, it’s worth taking advantage of gravity and raising the head of the bed. If this is not possible, you can place something under the mattress in the area near the headboard, or even use extra pillows.

Don’t smoke to treat gastric reflux

If you are a smoker, then we give you one more reason to quit this terrible habit. Cigarettes reduce the ability of the lower esophageal sphincter to function properly.

Natural Remedies to Treat Gastric Reflux

It is also possible to make use of some natural remedies to alleviate the symptoms of this condition. For example:

1 handful of raw almonds every day to balance stomach pH
60 ml of aloe vera juice to reduce esophageal damage
1 cup of chamomile tea to relax your stomach
1 cup of ginger tea to protect the stomach and prevent ulcers
1 pinch of turmeric in your meals to promote digestion and prevent acidity